


Steps to Survival

by littletechiebird



Category: DCU, DCU - Comicverse, Marvel (Comics), Young Avengers
Genre: F/M, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-03-30
Updated: 2012-03-30
Packaged: 2017-11-02 18:35:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,376
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/372077
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/littletechiebird/pseuds/littletechiebird
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Being an intern is nowhere near easy. You fight for survival just like you fight for patients and surgery. You work your way up to be a Resident, so that one day you can be an Attending. But in the halls of the hospital, there can be more than life and loss. In the hospital, its practically a second home. Sometimes, you find what you don’t expect.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. New Rounds

_All your life, you work towards a goal._

_For a while, that goal may just be working towards finding a real and longterm goal._

_  
But then you figure out what it is that you want to do. What you’re good at, and what makes you happy._

_For Doctors, for Surgeons, we are one of the many whose paths are a bit longer, and a bit more dangerous._

_We work our way through med school, through all the sleepless nights, the research, and the expenses. We keep telling ourselves that it’ll all be worth it once we have that first day of our internship. The first day where we really start saving lives._

_Or messing them up._

_We walk into that first day, all confident. We’ve learned all we can from the books and the tests and the lectures. Now it’s time for the real steps. Learning from doctors who are practically like Gods, taking lives that are doomed, and giving them another chance. Giving them their lives back._

_They aren’t Gods, but they’re the closest you’ll ever get._

_Stepping into the locker room was exciting enough as it was. Getting your very own little slot to place your things. And it wasn’t one of those like you had in high school. You have to bring every one of your essentials, because this is like a little drawer that will provide home when you’re unable to go home._

_There will be many nights like that, countless actually, within the next seven years._

_That’s how long his time there would take. Going through as an intern, getting to level up to a Resident, and maybe, just maybe, one day he would get to be an Attending._

_That alone is enough to make your heart beat faster, isn’t it?_

_But first, you have to make it through your first day. No, more like your first shift._

_The first shift is 48 hours._

_When you step out of that locker room, you have to get yourself together._

_You get assigned to your Resident, and you have to learn - quickly - how_ not _to get on their bad side. And if you mess up, you have to learn, even quicker, how to fix it before you doom yourself all before you’ve really started._

_The Residents know what they’re doing, and we’re all the annoying newbies. They don’t want to deal with us any more than we want to piss them off - if we’re smart._

_We have to be quick. We have to make allies. The several years ahead can’t be spent alone. An ally will help us make fewer mistakes, or so we hope. Besides, who are we kidding, we need to know we’re not alone in this big scary place._

_We’re big kids now. We’re adults._

_Worse than that, now we’re surgeons. Or… Junior surgeons._

_But tell me that isn’t one hundred times scarier than learning you’re an adult. Because now you have that, and you have lives in your hands._

_Careful. You’ve gotta be careful. Else, you might kill someone._

_Kill the wrong person, and you’re done._

_All your work will be for nothing._

_You’re scrambling after your Resident like a puppy that doesn’t know how to walk on tile, or wood flooring, yet. Practically tripping over your feet to make sure you don’t miss a beat or fall behind. On your first day, your first shift, you can’t miss anything. It could be a nail in your coffin as a surgeon._

_So you get your first patient, and if you’re good, then you got the chart on the way and memorized what you could. So when you’re asked about the patient - who they are, why they’re there, and your suggested course of treatment - you actually have an answer in stead of standing there, looking like fresh meat that is really going to be in for it._

_Then you get your assignments, likely based on how well you did in what is simply ‘Round 1’. You get moving, you do it fast, but you don’t make any mistakes. Everyone is looking at you that day, Residents and Attendings, to evaluate which one of you will be the most irritating, the most intelligent, the most useful, etc. They are waiting to see who will actually be able to stick it out._

_After all, it’s said that only eight of us, out of the twenty of our class, will go on from this and continue with what we have dedicated ourselves to now. Four will likely switch to something easier. At least two will drop out completely, unable to handle it._

_The rest? Those are our wild cards, because there has to be room for variation in each class, hopefully for the better._

_Once you hear those statistics, you begin to have a little seed of fear planted in the back of your mind as you defiantly insist, to yourself, that you will be one of the eight. You refuse to be any less, otherwise, you wouldn’t have come this far and worked so hard._

_Then you start really working on your own cases, and you suddenly feel like you’re playing dress up to play Doctor._

_What happened to your confidence a few moments before? You aren’t sure. Just like you aren’t sure what the answers to the questions your patient’s family has are._

_But all you can do is ask questions of your Resident. Even if it makes them hate you a little bit more than they did before. Because that has to be better than killing a patient, right?_

_..Right?_

_Then you watch your Residents, your Attendings, do amazing things - surgeries especially. You feel your mouth practically watering at the idea of getting to observe in the OR. And you feel like you’ll explode if you actually get to assist in the surgery._

_Of course, whenever those things don’t come through, you try to peek through the little window on the door. Of course, there’s the observation deck that would provide a much better view, but you’re usually far too busy to be caught up there. If you’re seen, your ass has been had._

_You’re an Intern. You’re supposed to be busy. You’re the bottom of the medical food chain. You don’t get rights yet. You aren’t even supposed to be heard unless you are given time to speak._

_These are the rules that you have to learn, sooner rather than later._

_Sensing a theme yet?_

_Quick._

_Fast._

_Soon._

_There isn’t much time for anything extra in this field._

_When your patient calls, or is coding, you run._

_When your scans are up, and they’re vital to how to move next in critical treatment, you run._

_When your Resident gives you orders, you run._

_There is no time to be idle. An minute can make or break a save for someone’s life._

_All of these things, you learn. Quickly._

_But then you get out of the first stages. You don’t feel like a fish out of water anymore._

_You’ve established yourself, your ability, and your Resident knows what to expect of you - whether that is good or bad._

_You have your ally, or allies if you’re lucky, and it makes things just a little bit easier._

_You have answers to your patients questions._

_And you don’t feel like you’re going to constantly throw up all the time._

_You’re comfortable in your own skin, and you don’t feel like you’re playing a child’s game of dress up anymore. You’re an adult. You’re a surgeon - well, junior surgeon, remember. Those are things you’re okay with. In fact, some days, you’re happy about it._

_You realize you’re making progress._

_Then that progress brings you to the day where you take your test for Residency. You freak out about it for weeks. You drill yourself. You try to relearn everything that has ever been thrown at you over the last couple years, in just a few weeks._

_Good luck with that._

_You get to the test, and you’re locked in a room with the test booklet. It almost feels like you’re back in high school. You’re taking the ACT or SAT and you’d been freaking out about that too. It’ll be the test to decide your future - or that’s how it feels._

_Then you get to this test, and you have the same thoughts. You’re a lot more accurate this time around._

_You don’t rush to finish, but you have a little prod in the back of your mind that worries about taking too long. And when you do finish, you re-read everything at least once. You make sure you haven’t done something stupid - like skip a line and put your answer for number 23 in one of the bubbles for number 24. Or put “A” in stead of “C” because you almost feel a bit manic._

_Then you feel the supervisor call time, and you turn in what will either confirm that you’ve earned the experience points for the next level, or what will feel like you’ve essentially been killed and have to restart the level._

_Waiting for the results feels like years._

_Among your peers, you speculate who will pass, and who will fail._

_You try to be positive - of course everyone did great. We all worked hard. We deserve the next step._

_But no matter how much we deserve it, will we get it?_

“Why can’t we just get the results right away. Like, have a scan-tron thing that they used back in college.”

A few of them at the table sighed. They all agreed, simply because waiting was torture. Billy pushed the food around on his plate, pouting down at it. He just wanted it to be quick. Like a band-aid. Rip it off. Let him know if he was stuck replaying Internship, or if he got to be a Resident.

He so wanted to be a Resident.. 

“I don’t need a scan-tron. I don’t even need my results. I’m as good as a Resident already. There’s no  _way_  I didn’t pass.”

All around the table, eyes rolled. Of course Tommy would be confident. 

“No. You’re still just a brat. Not a doctor.”

A sly smirk was accompanied with the response. But that was Kate, for you. She was one of the people who kept Tommy in check, when Billy just didn’t have the energy anymore. Having him as a brother was honestly tiring. 

“Hey babe, come on. No need to be jealous. I’m  _sure_  you made it too.” Then there was that sharp grin. That was his tactic half the time, just coming on to her after the responses. Though, it wasn’t surprising that he was attracted to her. She didn’t take any shit, and she was pretty.

If he was in to that type of thing. But unlike his brother, he wasn’t. 

He’d been going crazy over someone quite different. Someone who surely didn’t even know he existed. After all, he was still - officially - just an Intern. And he, being the complete genius he was, was drooling over an Attending.

“But back to the matter at hand, speaking generally about our group here, everyone has been quite comprehensive in our studies. No one really has a reason to worry, you know?” Eli, the current voice of reason. He seemed confident. “Except Tommy.” But it didn’t change the fact that most of the time, he wasn’t all that fond of his brother.

Most weren’t.

Tommy had done a good job of creating a reflection of himself that told everyone he was just a big, showoff-ish jerk. As if he was just a barbarian who hardly cared, and was just in it for the power and glory that came with it.

Billy had been threatened by his brother that if he ever tried to break that show he had put on, that he would hurt him for it.

While they were close, and their relationship was unbreakable, he did not doubt this. Besides, there were secrets of his that Tommy was keeping too. 

For whatever reason, this facade he was putting on - well, it was mostly a facade - was working for him. It made it easier for him while he did his job here. He wouldn’t pretend to understand it, even for a minute, no matter how strong of a bond they were supposed to have as twins, because he didn’t get it.

“The more you focus on it, the worse it’s going to be. We have a while to wait, guys. Don’t think about it, and it won’t be as bad.” Nathaniel was the next to speak up with his words of wisdom. No one missed the way Cassie smiled around her straw as she sipped her drink.

It was a crush that everyone saw, but both of them were either blind to, or afraid to fess up to.

No one was really sure which it was. 

“Like an itch. Don’t think about it, you’ll forget in a while, and won’t want to scratch it.” She murmured. 

“Well you’re being awful quiet, Billy.”

Blinking and looking up from his food, he momentarily looked like a deer caught in the headlights. He’d been so focused on just listening, that being pulled back into the conversation had caught him off guard for a moment.

“Hm?”

“Oh, I wonder. Are you thinking about  _him_  again?” 

Kate was the one prodding. 

“Oh not this again. I do not need to hear about my brother’s lovesick life.”

“Shut up, Tommy.” He sent a glare towards his brother.

“It’s romantic, really.” Cassie’s input just made his cheeks want to burn. He was trying to fight it. “The amazing, world renown surgeon. And the new little intern. Could you imagine? It’s like a medical fairytale.”

“Except it  _isn’t_.”

“Hush, Tommy.” Kate wasn’t even giving him enough attention now to tell him to shut up properly. Nathaniel and Eli were just smirking the whole time.

Everyone had learned, early on in their internship, that Billy was in fact gay. Very gay. The girls loved the idea, and had said it would just make their time there even more diverse, and exciting. 

He didn’t get it, but he wasn’t going to crush it for them. 

“You say it’s impossible, but didn’t you hear?”

Billy was suddenly interested. 

“What?”

The grin spread over the two girls faces like they had a dirty secret that they couldn’t have been more proud of.

The fact that Billy hadn’t heard, whatever this was, seemed to be the best possible gratification. Now he was worried.

“It won’t be so impossible soon.”

“What are you talking about, Kate.”

“I can’t believe he didn’t hear..” 

Billy’s eyes flashed to Cassie, and he was growing nervous. In stead of giving a vocalized plea, his eyes said it all.

“He’s coming.”

“…Who.”

Even though, with dread, he realized who.

“Theodore Altman.”

“..Where.”

“Here.”

The blood was draining from his face. Fast.

“When.”

Their grins grew.

“Today.”

  


No.

  
They had to be kidding.

No.

He couldn’t be-

His panic, and their enjoyment, was cut short as a flood of relentless beeping sounded around their table. Everyone stopped instantly, faces drawing serious as their hands shot for their pagers.

“ _Shit_.” Tommy was the first to voice what everyone was thinking. 

“Multiple traumas.” Eli said, glancing up to meet their eyes.

“Move!” Kate barked.

They all shot up from their seats, grabbing their lab coats, and ran from the cafeteria, leaving their trays and unfinished food behind.

Lunchtime was over.


	2. Uneasy Wait

_It’s the adrenaline pumping through your veins._

_At times, it’s what keeps you awake and incredibly alert, even after the longest shift that should have you sleeping where you stand. It’s what keeps you focused, even if there should be a million other things on your mind. It’s what gets you to work at the utmost perfection._

_Your body goes into overtime, working almost inhumanly so you can save the life that’s suddenly been thrust into your hands. That’s one of the things that saves you, because you have almost no time at all to think, to make decisions, and to act. You do it all at once. You have to know it all._

_There’s not really anything that can compare with pressure like that._

By the time they get down to the pit, the area is clear in preparation for the trauma that they’re to receive. It isn’t comforting to see, because while it’s convenient, it isn’t a good sign. If things are silent, if they’re cleared out, that’s a bad sign. That should have them quaking. In stead, they have to be steeled. It’s almost time to play their part. They rush to grab the scrub gowns, and gloves before they moved to the ambulance bay, standing at the ready. Of course, there was already a resident waiting for them. He was sure the others, and maybe an attending or two, would be on their way just the same. 

“It is another automobile accident. There has not yet been any news to give us any idea on the extent of the injuries of those involved. Though with a multiple vehicle pile-up, it never turns out very well, does it?”

Thor, one of the top Residents, already considered to be an Attending. No one really knew why he had not yet taken on the title, and he laughed whenever anyone asked. He was almost always cheerful, and quite devoted to the work placed before him. His humor, and attitude, was quite unique. He almost seemed foreign to the rest of the world. Maybe his parents had known that from the start, and that was why his name had mirrored that of well known mythology.

No one added to what he had said, after all, there wasn’t really anything that could be added. It was hard to make small talk when you knew what was about to flood onto the scene. Or, it was for anyone but Tommy.

“Maybe not, but it gives you a chance to get back into the OR with a primo surgery.” 

A grin had spread across his face, and it was obvious that he was thinking through what kind of injuries they could possibly be facing, how he could get his hands on it, and get to scrub in and take the glory of knowing he had gotten the most excitement out of the day. No one scolded him or called him out on the obviously dark, and otherwise inappropriate statement because they’d be lying if they weren’t thinking the same - if only a little.

They were Residents now. So that meant that more than ever, they had to prove themselves. They had to be at their best. They wanted the stories, the glory, the opportunity, and they knew how much there was left to learn. 

That probably sounded far too noble. After all, really, they just wanted to be who was envied. They wanted the best opportunity to cut. It would seem morbid to anyone who wasn’t a surgeon, because they couldn’t possibly understand the need, the want, and the rush.

Well now that just sounds a bit dirty rather than rude.

The cold that nipped at their faces and through the scrubs was ignored by their alert wait. They could hear the sirens in the distance, rushing ever closer, and the adrenaline was refreshed in their systems as the rigs sped into view and stopped before them. One after another, several were arriving. The doors from the back burst open with the paramedic giving the immediate run-down of the patient’s condition - that was the moment, and the facts, that would be setting your pace on the case. 

“18 year old female front seat passenger. Vital signs are stable, with equal breath sounds. Lacerations to the face, chest, and abdomen.” The girl was unconscious, and she looked like she’d been thrown into a wind tunnel of glass. Cut to ribbons, covered in her own blood. It was amazing that they didn’t report any abdominal tenderness, or a loss of vitals previously. She probably wasn’t the worst, but she looked like she had been put to endure quite a bit.

“I’ve got it.” Billy spoke up, taking hold of the side of the gurney and rushing back into the ER with the paramedics while the others received the remaining patients. As they put her into the first trauma room, he began his exam. There was no tenderness in her abdomen, breath sounds were still equal, her pulse was good. Her pupils were equal and reactive. There were still wounds to her head that concerned him, though, in addition to her lack of consciousness. She hadn’t lost enough blood to result in such a thing. It was something he wanted to look into.

“I want to order a CT. Do we have any news on an ID for her yet?” The nurses in the room looked like they had no answers for him, and the paramedics just shook their heads. 

“There was no ID on her at the scene. We’re waiting to hear about what was found in the vehicles in the personal belongings.”

“Right.” He sighed. So for the moment she’d be a Jane Doe. Not for long though, he hoped. They’d find her ID, and she’d wake up. It was waiting that was the hard part. In these moments there were still too many questions, and therefore, too many variables. It made it harder to control the situation. 

“I need a suture kit. I want to at least get her cleaned up while we’re waiting for the CT since she’s stable for the moment.”

So, wait he did. Like he always did. But he set out to the task to do what he could while he could. After inspecting all of the lacerations, he made a mental note of which ones would need stitches and which could just be cleaned up and bandaged. Unfortunately, the ones that would need the sutures outnumbered the ones that didn’t. It figured, he supposed, after going through something like that. The wreck hadn’t even been explained yet, not to him. He wondered what had happened. Were the roads bad? He hadn’t caught any news from the waiting room or nurses gossip. Or maybe it was just one of those freak things. He’d have to ask later, even if it didn’t really matter.

As he was working on one particularly nasty cut on her arm, he went rigid as he felt her twitch. Looking up, he watched her eyes flutter open. A gentle smile settled on his lips, ready to comfort, as soon as he watched a bit of panic take a place upon her features. “Welcome back.” 

“W-Where—”

“You’re at Stark Memorial Hospital. You were in an accident.” 

It was easy to catch the flash of fear in her eyes, feel the way her body tensed beneath his fingers that rested against her arm, still holding the needle for when he would be able to continue sewing up her injury. 

“You’ll be alright though. We’ll take care of you here.”

She was quiet for a long while, but found it in her to eventually nod. 

“I’m Dr. Kaplan. Can you tell me your name?”

—————

It’s while he’s waiting for the results that he takes the opportunity to go back to the cafeteria to grab a snack. Lunch was disturbed before he’d been able to eat too much of what he’d gotten. When he’s finishing his bottle of water and about to start on his apple, he notes Kate and his brother a bit ahead. He can read the irritation in her body language alone, and even if he hadn’t, the smirk on Tommy’s face tells him he’s all too pleased with himself that he is irritating someone. Again.

“Kate!” 

The two ahead of him stopped in their stride and looked back. Kate looked pleased, if not relieved, and Tommy just looked disappointed, and maybe even irritated, that he had been disrupted. 

“Yeah. Hey to you too, Kaplan.”

Ignoring his brother, he looked to Kate in stead.   
  
“How’s your patient doing?”

Her expression turned a bit sour. “Coded about an hour ago.. We think it was a tear in the aorta from the stress on his body. So I’m on a new assignment. How’s your patient?”

“Stable. She woke up a little over an hour or so ago, too. Alert and coherent, so that’s encouraging. I’m waiting on the results of her CT so I can clear her and maybe get her discharged here in a bit.” 

“Great!”

That was one of the best parts was taking pride in each other’s victories, simple or complex, and feeling a bit of loss together before comforting and consoling in the times of loss. It was hard to take the bad when you were on your own, and they’d learned that back as interns. Their support system was what kept them going. Friends did that for each other in life anyway, but there was a bit of a finer art to it in a setting like this..

“Wait. So.. What’s your new assignment then?” He was curious. Billy raised an eyebrow at her, waiting for a response as he bit into his apple.  “Did you get put on somebody’s service?” Maybe she’d been shifted to focus on a case with one of the Attendings. He took another bite.

Her grin turned dangerous again, much like it had earlier. She was so proud of her dirty little secrets today. “Wouldn’t you like to know, William Kaplan.”

Yeah, she was definitely playing with him — Always did when she said his full name. In stead of letting him in on the fun little secret, she plucked the apple from his hand and strode off. He stared after her dumbly, frowning in his confusion, and the loss of his apple, before he looked to Tommy who was looking at him with no sympathy what-so-ever. In fact, he looked downright bored. 

  
“What was  _that_?”

“That was Kate. Being Kate.”

Rolling his eyes, he just sighed. Oh yes, that was incredibly informative.   
  
“No, Tommy. I mean, what was she talking about? Her new case, or whatever it is. Do you know?”

“Oh.” Realization dawned on his twin’s face, though he didn’t seem any less bored at first. Slowly, some amusement replaced the expression as he seemed to understand something a bit more. “Nothing big. She’s just in charge of showing Dr. Altman around once he gets here.”

Oh there he went. All the blood was deciding to try and find a way to drain from his body. Maybe it was trying to rush to his stomach, which would explain the shivers, and the sickening feeling it had. “What.” The single word was all he was able to croak out, and Tommy was regaining that all-too-pleased expression.

In stead of wasting his time trying to question his brother further, he decided to sooner start his pursuit of Kate for  _better_  answers while he had the chance. Only, she was already out of sight. “ _KATE.”_

And he was off, rushing down the hall, eyes shooting around for any sight of her. When was he getting here? He had to know. He had to know when to start worrying, and start avoiding, and try to  _get his shit together_  before he just seemed like an incompetent fanboy who wasn’t actually a doctor who knew how to practice medicine.

But again his pursuit for such knowledge on the subject was put off as his pager began to sound off and catch his attention. He skidded to a halt, giving those around him a better chance to stare - many with irritation, others wondering if he was crazy after hearing him yell - while he read off the code. 

“No, no,  _no_ …!”

Rushing off in the direction of the way he had come, he was making a mad dash for a much better, and much more serious reason. 

By the time he burst back into the room of his patient, there were several nurses already gathered around the bed, bagging her to aid her breathing. “What happened.”

“She just crashed. Lost her pulse about two minutes ago.”

“Get me the crash cart.” 

The small, crowded cart was wheeled over to him quickly and he grabbed the paddles, readying them for the charge. “Charge to 300.” 

“Charged.”

  
“Clear!”

—————

“Dr. Kaplan, I have the CT results you requested.”

As he threw the films up to the light, eyes scrutinized the image, taking in each detail and reading them carefully. “There’s a bleed. It’s small and it doesn’t look like it’s progressing too quickly. I want a cardiac MRI and CT. There’s something we’re missing here. A bleed this small wouldn’t cause the arrhythmia she’s experiencing, nor the codes.” 

He handed the films back to the nurse and she nodded, running off to fill the request. He just sighed and ran a hand through his hair, looking through the window to the room where his patient was resting a bit easier, or so he hoped. They were watching her a little more closely now. She was nowhere near discharge, but the good news was that she was still alive.

Leaning against the doorframe, he watched the monitor for a while, getting lost in his own thoughts. They were fixing things piece by piece. The sutures, they learned of the bleed - and that would be an easy enough fix, and now they would try to find out what else was going on inside her so they could fix that too. 

_Life is a process, learning, living, loving. We’re flawed human beings, so we never quite reach perfection, but that doesn’t mean we don’t spend our lives trying to reach it - or our very best at the least. It keeps us alive, and reminds us that we are._

_We spend our time learning what we need to in order to survive, but we also learn what makes life a little better. Being flawed, sometimes these are things we run from. After all, it usually takes quite the change to take on some of the things that make us the happiest. Change is always terrifying, whether you admit it or not. If you’re not scared, you’re not doing it right. But when you realize that the fear is really just anticipation, and what you’ve got waiting is a lot better, you stop running and hold on with everything that you are._

_You just have to figure out how to get to that point, and you’ve got to keep living. Keep on breathing. That’s where the real pressure lies, because the pressure that comes with going on is the real challenge._


	3. Now there's a plan

_Life is full of unexpected moments. No matter how much you prepare and plan, it just won’t turn out perfect — not according to your plan, anyway. The changes that can come up don’t have to be something regrettable. Sometimes it’s just a way of being nudged in the right direction. We don’t always know what we’re doing. We’re all stumbling over each other to try to get to whatever goal we’ve set._

_But everyone runs into trouble along the way._

“Mr. Stark, I have a hospital to run.  _Your_  hospital, actually.” 

They’re the harsh words spoken by a tall, blonde haired man. His eyes are narrowed with mild, yet controlled, irritation at the dark haired man in the suit who was all-too-smugly grinning at him. Whatever he had done, he seemed pleased with him. 

“I told you, Steve. It’s  _Tony_ , not Mr. Stark. We’ve been working together for too long for that.”

“ _Mr. Stark_ , I work  _for_  you, not with you.That being said, I would like to be able to do a proper job and attend to matters that need my attention. There’s a lot to do, and I would like to be able to welcome my new Cardio specialist.”

“Now see, that’s something I didn’t even know. Since you’re my Chief of Surgery, I think you should tell me these things.”

“But I  _did_ —”

“So you should just introduce me. Who did you get? Hopefully someone to better represent us than that last—”

“Theodore Altman.”

“I feel like I’ve heard that name..”

“You should have, besides the times that we met over this decision. He’s a young prodigy in cardio. He’s made quite a name for himself and is being viewed as a “god” in his field.”

Tony looked impressed, dark eyebrows raising in interest. “And that’s the guy we got?” A pleased expression replaced the previous, maintaining the near constant smug attitude. “Good. When does he arrive?”

Steve maintained a calm expression as he allowed his hands to slip into the pockets of his white lab coat. Tony Stark was a bit much to deal with, but he’d had practice over the years. “I am supposed to recei—” His pager went off as he spoke. Tilting it at the proper angle from his belt, he read the short message.

Tony’s smirk only grew. 

“So now?”

“If you would like to meet him then follow me, Mr. Stark.”

“ _Tony_.” He pressed as the two men strode across the walkway towards the elevators, their destination being set to meet their newest staff member.

—————

“Excuse me.. Could you page Dr. Rogers for me? Or possibly tell me where I could find him?”

The blonde male stood at the front desk, messenger bag hanging from his shoulder as one hand was comfortably settled upon the strap. He offered a warm, polite smile to the woman who sat before him, and he earned an interested and appraising gaze. “Do you have an appointment?”

“Of sorts. I’m new to the staff here. I’ll be starting today.”

“Name?”

“Doctor Theodore Altman.”

Suddenly her expression lightened significantly with understanding as soon as he had spoken his name. “ _Oh!_  Dr. Altman! Welcome, sir. I will page Dr. Rogers for you immediately. If you take a seat, I’m sure he will be here shortly.” 

Nodding and offering one more smile, he moved himself to one of the chairs in the lobby. He sat back, but wasn’t waiting long. It almost felt like he’d just sat down before he noted two men, one blonde and one brunette, going to the front desk as well for an inquiry, and the woman directed them over to him. Before they started over, he stood and composed himself. 

“Dr. Altman?” The blonde inquired. Teddy nodded. “I’m Steve Rogers. We spoke on the phone.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Dr. Rogers.” Eyes flashed over to the man who stood beside Steve.

“This is Tony Stark.” Teddy blinked, realization dawning.

“This is your hospital then?”

“Yes. Built for my father, Howard Stark.” His eyes looked Teddy up and down, as if appraising his skill from what he could see in that moment. “So I hear you’re quite the hot-shot.”

“Oh no, I’m just—”

“Don’t worry about him, Dr. Altman.” Steve cut in, obviously exasperated as he sighed. “Mr Stark has a bad habit of trying to cause trouble where it is unnecessary. But on a different topic, I assume things went well on your way here?”

Well at least Dr. Rogers was kind. He was easier to talk to as well. It was Tony Stark who was necessary to be worried about, it seemed. After all, he was at the top of the food chain. He couldn’t get on his bad side. But he would worry about getting on Steve’s good side first, as well as settling into his new position. 

“Yes. The move went smoothly. I’m looking forward to things here.”

“Good, good. Today I will be putting one of our Residents on your service. They will be able to answer any questions you may have, as well as show you around the hospital. You don’t need to feel rushed on getting any cases today, unless one comes up that you feel would need your specialty. If we come to a moment like that, we’ll see what we can do to get you on the case.”

“Thank you, Dr. Rogers.” Reaching out a hand, he shook Steve’s in a gesture of appreciation. 

“It’s really no problem, Dr. Altman. Your reputation is truly impressive. We’re glad to have you as a part of our team. So let me know if I can do anything for you.” 

They spoke for a while longer after Steve requested that a Dr. Kate Bishop be paged. It was all about the questions he was used to. Asking about his early graduation from high school, his speedy trip through his basic college classes before he started medical school, began and sped through his internship with great success and established himself with notable skills in cardiology. His record was astounding, and everyone made sure he knew it. It was nice, but they just looked to have him for the prestige. They looked to him as someone who could better them — and not for the reasons that he had become a doctor to begin with. 

It was fascinating — life, and the body. Fate plays with it all the time, and one minute you could be healthy, the next you could be dying or dead. Yet, humans had begun the struggle to change that. They tried to learn and adapt, fight against what tried to kill them off early so they could live for whatever reason they had individually, and respectfully, established. He’d watched his father die right in front of him as a child, and that just hadn’t been something he’d ever been able to accept. If he had been just a little older, if he had known what he did now, he could have saved him. 

But fate was rarely that kind.

“Dr. Altman.”

The emphasis on his name told him that he had missed the calling of his name a time or two already. His clear snap to attention just made the three who watched him, smile. 

“Dr. Altman, this is Dr. Bishop. She’s a first year Resident, but one of our finest. I trust that I am leaving you in good hands.”

Teddy’s eyes shifted to the dark haired girl in front of him who seemed to compose herself with perfect respect. 

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Dr. Altman. I’ve heard about your work, and it’s astounding.”

He pulled out a polite smile once more, already dreading how many times he would hear this with coming introductions. He didn’t like the attention all that much, really. It was nice to be recognized for your hard work, but it was hard when the work preceded everything else.

“Thank you, Dr. Bishop. I will appreciate your help in getting me acquainted with the hospital and how you all handle things here.”

“Would you like to get started then?”

“Please.” He must have allowed a little too much eagerness slip into his tone, as he saw her stare a bit oddly at him for a moment before she seemed to laugh under her breath and nod to him, leading the way. He didn’t mind, really. She was friendly, and didn’t seem like she would be trying to kiss up too much. That was appreciated, especially since it seemed like their difference in age was little to nothing at all. Despite the difference in experience, it would be nice to have a peer who could treat you as such once in a while.

He was getting ahead of himself. Even so, he was just hoping this hospital would be different from the others that he had tried to work in.

—————

Within the darkened room, Billy stared at the films before him with arms crossed over his chest. Eyes were narrowed as he scrutinized every detail, glancing down at the chart that was grasped tightly in his hand. He was missing something, and it was a very big, very  _important_  something that he couldn’t afford to miss and he knew it. Bringing a hand to the bridge of his nose he sighed and began to pinch the area. He just had to think. It wouldn’t be that hard. 

Her pressure was bottoming out and she had chest lacerations and contusions. There was nothing in any previous records that they had access to that would tip him off to anything unusual. She was a healthy girl, or had been before the accident. There was a tiny, nearly minuscule, bleed in her brain but it was nothing that should have caused problems. It was something they were going to keep an eye on, but for the moment it was not their focus. 

“Is this your patient?”

Currently too irritated to give the inquiry much thought, he grunted in affirmation, not taking his eyes off of the films. 

“How did she present?”

Billy responded mechanically. “18 year old female front seat passenger of a car involved in a multi-car pile-up. Vital signs were stable, with equal breath sounds. Lacerations to the face, chest, and abdomen. Contusions to the chest and abdomen. All of that being upon arrival. After ordering a head CT it came back with a minor brain bleed, but nothing to be overly concerned over. Just something to watch and wait to see if it resolves itself. Even so, her pressure keeps bottoming out. She’s coded twice now, though we are able to pull her back and stabilize her each time. Past medical history doesn’t really show a thing.”

A giggle in the back of the room just made him glance back in slight irritation. Just what was so funny? But as he noticed Kate, and the grin on her face, he watched where her eyes shifted and realized that he had noticed a blur of blonde as he had whipped his head back. Shifting his gaze back, he felt his stomach drop out of his body and he had to fight to keep himself from breaking out into his inner fan-boy right there. Or like a school boy with an unhealthy crush. But his throat had gone dry, and english was suddenly a second language to “blubbering idiot”. Luckily, he realized his mind’s cruel trick before he allowed himself to even make an attempt at speaking. 

Right before him,  _less than a foot away_  was Theodore Altman. The most talented surgeon in their day and age, especially if they were talking about the field of cardio. If anyone would have tried to dispute that, Billy would have  _fought_  them for it. 

Swallowing hard, he calmed himself as much as possible, and began to speak evenly. “That.. is as far as we have gotten.” He might have slightly over articulated a bit at that moment,  but it was better than the alternative. He hadn’t even heard them come in.. Not only that, but Billy was quite aware of Kate’s grin in the back of the room, as he could feel it, and her gaze, burning into the back of his head. Teddy just looked inquisitive beside him. But those blue eyes just looked to the x-ray that he had been so intent on studying only moments before. He was reading it with just as much determination, and soon he held out his hand without a word. The young Resident was only able to stare at it dumbly until he realized what he was requesting. Handing over the chart, he read through and then looked to Billy as he handed the chart back to him.

“Book an OR.”

He was stunned. “What?”

A smirk was his response. “Trust me. We need to get in there right away. Looks like I’ll be getting my hands dirty today after all.”

“But how—”

“Ever seen an Endovascular Aortic Repair?” He asked with a light excitement and determination in his tone. 

“W..Well no.”

“What’s your name?”

Speaking was suddenly difficult again. “Billy Kaplan.” His voice had suddenly gotten so soft.

“Well Dr. Kaplan, I’m Teddy Altman. As of today, I am the head of cardio here. Go ahead and book that OR. You and Dr. Bishop will be assisting me while seeing that very procedure first hand today.”

With smile flashed his way that could have knocked Billy right off his feet then and there, the blonde doctor left the room with Kate in tow.

_We all deserve a pleasant surprise to our plans every now and again._


End file.
